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Date:

December 1849

Extent:

3p

Summary:

This document is a portion of a letter written by Andrew Johnson circa 1849, to William M. Lowry. In the letter, Johnson discusses politics and his hatred for someone only referred to as Williams.

one other thing I will allude to as [added: it] comes in upon me— Williams says that he sent his letters to Henderson's Mill to mail them, believing that you [wild] open them and destroy them as he had sent one to the department sometime since and had never heard of it since afterwurds [afterwards]— I must confess that the perusial [perusal] of this man William's letters supprises [suprises] me, I did not believe he was so fiendish as he is on that they had the little P. O. so much at heart— If his letters are a true index to his heart on the inner man, it is as black and malignant as hell itself— My opinion has always been bad enough God knows about him; but when [added: you] come to read his letters and see the guile that is lerking [lurking] through them, you cannot view him as occupying a higher grade than [added: the] reptile that crawls upon its belly with the vines conceiled [concealed] beneath its crooked fangs ready to strick [strike] and communicate blight and death to all who dare cross those[added: its] path— having [unclear: succumbed? ] into the dimentions [dimensions] of the poisonous

adder. he deserves to be tread upon and crushed by the indignant heel of every independent and honest hearted man— I think [added: him] one of the vilest and most deformed of Adam's fallen race and if there was no other sin in the world besides what he contains it would require the advent and blood of another Savour [Saviour] to preserve it from being swept into an awful hell where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. I sit down to write one page and no more, but have permitted [added: my self] to begin to think about this miserable creature, so I will stop at this about him— I repeat that I have hope of stoping [stopping] the whole proceedings; but let them do all the devilment possible—

We have made no speaker as yet. Cable has been droped [dropped] the run is now upon Potter of Ohio — what the ultimate result will be, at this time no one can tell— The whigs seemed determined to have Whin Winthrop or no one— My own opinion that the whigs have a majority in the House which the sequel will show

I [added: am] still laboring under my affliction— it [added: is] some better; but very painful at times still— I have not seen old Zack yet; but intend to call [added: on] him soon— Your piece of Gold I have not sold as yet but will do it in a short time— I have not recieved [received] a letter from any one since leaving Greeneville giving an account of matters and things —

You will parden [pardon] the brevity of this letter as I intend to write more fully in my next— Give my best respect to the young men about the store— Tender my best respects to Mrs Lowry and accept for yourself assuredness of my high esteem.